Clip

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a clip ( 1 ) comprising two legs ( 2, 3 ) interconnected via at least one resilient part ( 4 ) arranged between the legs ( 2, 3 ). The legs ( 2, 3 ) form a gripping end of the clip ( 1 ) at one end  85 ) of the clip ( 1 ) and an operating end of the clip ( 1 ) at another end ( 6 ) of the clip ( 1 ) in such a way that when the legs ( 2, 3 ) are moved toward one another at the operating end ( 6 ) of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end ( 5 ) of the clip. At least one of the legs ( 2, 3 ) is, at the operating end ( 6 ) of the clip ( 1 ), provided with a point ( 7 ) intended for tooth-cleaning.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a clip comprising two legs interconnected via at least one resilient part.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUSLY KNOWN ART

In many situations, the need may arise for clothes to be protected with a napkin or the like, such as when eating a meal. As an example, mention may be made of passengers on an aircraft, where it can be cramped and shaky, for which reason it may be necessary to use a napkin or the like in order to protect the clothes, for example a blouse or a tie, from being dirtied by food or drink. In order to attach the napkin, it may then be suitable to use some form of clip.

Clips of various types are well known. For example, patent document WO 99/49752 A1 discloses a clip consisting of a number of different parts for holding a napkin in place. Documents WO 99/06626 A1 and EP 0228325 A1 disclose clips in one piece, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,085 A discloses a clip with teeth for secure retention of an article.

After the meal is finished, or perhaps during the meal itself, there may be a need to remove food which has become wedged between the teeth, or to clean the teeth for some other reason. Use is then usually made of some form of toothpick, which is not always directly to hand but may have to be requested from a waiter or, in the case of air passengers, has to be hunted for in the carton in which meals are often served in an aircraft. Traditional toothpicks are moreover often made from relatively inelastic wood, which means that they can break during cleaning, above all between the teeth. If one is unlucky, a bit of toothpick may then become stuck between the teeth and prove very difficult to remove. Various types of toothpick are disclosed in WO 97/113472 A2, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,115 A and U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,370 A.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, effective and inexpensive device which can be used for retaining, for example, a napkin, which device can moreover be used for cleaning, for example, teeth.

The abovementioned object is achieved by a clip comprising two legs interconnected via at least one resilient part arranged between the legs, the legs forming a gripping end of the clip at one end of the clip and an operating end of the clip at another end of the clip in such a way that when the legs are moved toward one another at the operating end of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end of the clip. At least one of the legs is, at the operating end of the clip, provided with a point intended for tooth-cleaning. In this way, a solution is provided for the problem of the known art where, when need arises, it is necessary to hunt for a toothpick on the dining table or, in the case of air passengers, in the carton in which the meal was served. With the clip according to the invention, the toothpick is close to hand throughout the meal, as it is located close to the mouth, where it is intended to be used when the clip has been used for attaching the napkin. The combination of two products in one moreover saves material and thus costs and space, compared with two separate products.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the resilient part is an arm made of an elastically recovering flexible material, and the clip is suitably made in one piece. In this way, the manufacturing process is made easier, and the clip can easily and effectively be provided with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the point constitutes an end of a blade-shaped portion of the at least one leg, the blade-shaped portion suitably having a rough surface texture. This design makes the clip effective for cleaning teeth. The blade-shaped portion can be inserted between teeth lying close together, and the rough surface texture makes cleaning more effective. The blade-shaped portion can suitably have an extent in the lateral direction from the leg in such a way that it forms a second point, which second point is suitable for removing dirt under the nails. In this way, the clip provides a manicure instrument as well in a very simple manner.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the clip is made from an elastic plastic material. In this way, manufacture of the clip is made easier, at the same time as the clip can simply and inexpensively be provided with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a clip according to one embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the clip according to FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The clip 1 in FIG. 1 comprises two legs 2, 3 which are interconnected via a resilient part 4 in the form of an arm. The legs 2, 3 form a gripping end of the clip 1 at one end 5 of the clip 1 and an operating end of the clip at another end 6 of the clip 1 in such a way that when the legs 2, 3 are moved toward one another at the operating end 6 of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end 5 of the clip. The return of the legs 2, 3 toward one another at the gripping end 5 of the clip is effected by the resilient arm 4. One of the legs 3 is, at the outermost tip of the operating end 6 of the clip 1, provided with a point 7 intended for tooth-cleaning. The point 7 constitutes an end of a thin, blade-shaped portion 8 of the leg 3. The blade-shaped portion 8 has a rough surface texture and has an extent in the lateral direction from the leg 3 in such a way that it forms a second point 9. The clip 1 is made in one piece from an elastic plastic material, suitably acetal plastic. Elastic means that the plastic will provide the clip with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.

The clip 1 is preferably manufactured mainly by injection-moulding. Manufacture by injection-moulding of a thin blade with a relatively coarse surface, such as the blade-shaped portion 8 with its rough surface texture, can produce jagged and sharp edges on the blade, which can lead to gum irritation when the blade is inserted between teeth for cleaning. The jagged and sharp edges can be smoothed by melting the jags, by means of, for example, hot air or thermal radiation, in direct conjunction with the injection-moulding.

At the ends of both legs 2, 3 at the gripping end 5 of the clip, the legs 2, 3 are provided with semi-circular jaws 10, 11. The semi-circular jaws 10, 11 are arranged with their open portions facing one another, and one leg 3 is slightly longer than the other 2 in such a way that the jaws engage in one another, which affords secure retention of the article to which the clip is attached. The jaws 10, 11 are pressed toward one another by a light spring pressure which is brought about by cooling in connection with injection-moulding the clip, where the outer surfaces of the legs are cooled first, which results in the inner surfaces of the legs contracting, the legs 2, 3 being bent inward toward one another.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective diagram of the clip 1 in FIG. 1, where the difference in thickness between the legs 2, 3 and the blade-shaped portion 8, and the transition in thickness between them, can be seen. The thickness of the legs 2, 3 is 2-4 mm, preferably roughly 3 mm, and the thickness of the blade-shaped portion 8 is 0.2-0.4 mm, preferably roughly 0.3 mm.

The length of the clip 1 is 30-70 mm, preferably roughly 50 mm, and its width is 5-15 mm, preferably roughly 10 mm, and the clip 1 is in the first place intended to be used for attaching a napkin or the like to the clothes of a person eating a meal in order to protect the clothes from becoming dirtied by food or drink. The point 7 and the blade-shaped portion 8 constitute a toothpick blade which can be used by the person if, for example, food becomes wedged between the teeth of the person. The rough surface texture of the blade-shaped portion 8 helps effectively in cleaning the teeth, and the elastic plastic material, from which the clip is made, means that the toothpick blade can be pressed in between teeth lying close together without the blade breaking off and becoming difficult to remove. The other point 9 of the blade-shaped portion can be used for removing dirt under the nails of the person. The leg 3 with the points 7, 9 is longer than the other leg 2 so as to provide space for the blade-shaped portion 8, which makes handling easier when the blade-shaped portion 8 is used for cleaning teeth or for manicure.

The clip 1 according to the invention therefore provides effective retention of the napkin on the clothes during the meal and a toothpick which is close to hand throughout the meal. The clip 1 moreover provides a manicure instrument for cleaning the nails. As the clip 1 provides all these functions in one and the same instrument, savings are made in terms of material and thus money, and also space and unnecessary time-wasting for looking for, for example, a toothpick after the meal is finished. The design of the clip 1 also affords a good grip during tooth-picking, as the two legs 2, 3 of the clip 1 are held, compared with a conventional toothpick.

What has been said above is not to be regarded as limiting the invention but only as indicating possible embodiments of the invention. The clip can also, for example, be designed with a separate resilient part, such as a conventional helical spring, and the jaws of the clip can of course have any suitable shape, such as ribbed, smooth, or with one or more teeth, as long as sufficient grip is obtained around the article to which the clip is attached. The blade-shaped portion can also be designed with a smooth surface. The point at the end of the leg does not have to be preceded by a blade-shaped portion, but the leg can quite simply merge directly with a point. It is of course also possible for both legs to be provided with points. Furthermore, the legs do not have to be of different length, as in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2; and, although the clip is in the first place intended to hold a napkin in place during a meal, it can of course also be used on other occasions, for example for retaining a protective cloth on a patient at the dentist's etc. Many other alternative solutions are also included within the scope of the content of the following patent claims. 

1. A clip comprising two legs interconnected via at least one resilient part arranged between the legs, the legs forming a gripping end of the clip at one end of the clip and an operating end of the clip at another end of the clip in such a way that when the legs are moved toward one another at the operating end of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end of the clip, wherein at least one of the legs is, at the operating end of the clip, provided with a point intended for tooth-cleaning.
 2. The clip as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the resilient part consists of an arm made of an elastically recovering flexible material.
 3. The clip as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein it is made in one piece.
 4. The clip as claimed in patent claim 1, wherein the point constitutes an end of a blade-shaped portion of the at least one leg.
 5. The clip as claimed in patent claim 4, wherein the blade-shaped portion has a rough surface texture.
 6. The clip as claimed in patent claim 4, wherein the blade-shaped portion has an extent in the lateral direction from the leg and thus forms a second point.
 7. The clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clip is made from an elastic plastic material. 